WORKERS at the Grangemouth oil refinery and petrochemical plant are to hold a
48-hour strike that could hit fuel supplies throughout Scotland and the
north of England.

The Unite union, which was accused this week of behaving like “turkeys voting for Christmas”, said its members would walk out from 7am on October 20.

It accused the operator Ineos of refusing to take a dispute over the treatment of a union convenor to the conciliation service Acas.

Politicians condemned the move, while Pat Rafferty, the union’s Scottish secretary, claimed it had “made every effort” to avoid industrial action.

He added: “We have pleaded with government ministers in Westminster and Holyrood, and the joint owners of the Grangemouth refinery Petrochina, to help rein in this reckless company before it's too late.

"A damaging strike may shut down the Grangemouth site, with serious ramifications for fuel production and supply throughout Scotland and the north of England."

He claimed Ineos was determined to see strike action in a bid to “break” the union. Workers at Scotland’s only oil refinery began an overtime ban and work to rule on Monday in protest over Ineos's investigation into allegations that Stephen Deans misused company facilities.

The chairman of Labour’s local constituency party, he was involved in the high-profile row with Labour over the selection of a candidate in the Falkirk constituency to replace Eric Joyce MP.

He was removed from his post amid claims he had been involved in a bid to manipulate the contest, but the claims were later ruled to be unfounded. Ineos says its own inquiry will end on October 25.

The union claims Ineos is using the dispute as a cover for reforms including an end to the final salary pension scheme, job losses and an end to collective bargaining.

Meanwhile, the company has warned that the site is losing £10 million a month and faces closure by 20127 unless it receives financial backing from the Treasury and the unions agree to changes.

It condemned the strike, but said it had "relatively high" fuel stocks, and would look at bringing in additional imports.

A spokesman added: "We will try not to shut down any units unless we have to. We will do everything in our power to maintain fuel supplies.” Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, said Unite’s decision was very disappointing, urged the union to call off the action and said both sides should enter talks.

He added: “We have been working closely with the fuel industry and Scottish Government to put robust alternative supply routes in place in the case of a strike, which means that motorists can carry on as normal, and other impacts will be kept to a minimum."

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it was disappointed by the move and the dispute could only be resolved by negotiation.

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative energy spokesman, said it was a very unfortunate development at a time when there was already a question mark overthe plant.

He added: "It's exactly the last thing it needs, and I'm extremely disappointed in this course of action by the trade union."

Earlier this week, Calum MacLean, chairman of Grangemouth Petrochemicals, said Unite seemed “hell-bent” on destroying the site after union members picketed supermarkets that buy fuel from the refinery.

He added: “To go to our customers' offices and try to get them to stop trading with us is like turkeys voting for Christmas.”